Trunking communication systems are known to comprise a plurality of communication units that are arranged into a predetermined number of talk groups, a limited number of communication resources that are transceived via a predetermined number of repeaters, or base stations, and a communication resource allocator that allocates the limited number of communication resources among the plurality of communication units. The communication resources may comprise a TDM bus, a carrier frequency, a pair of frequency carriers, or any other RF transmission means. Communication units, which may be mobile units or portable radio units, are arranged into talk groups by like function. For example, one talk group may comprise communication units utilized by a police force, while another talk group may comprise communication units utilized by a fire department.
With technological advances, a trunked communication system can perform more and more advanced services. For example, recent advancements in the art have made it possible for a communication unit to transmit multiple transaction data, such as facsimiles or similar type data. When a communication unit is to transmit a multiple transaction data, such as a facsimile, the communication unit transmits a request to the communication resource allocator to perform such a service. The communication resource allocator, when it grants the communication unit's request, allocates a communication resource to the communication unit for a predetermined period of time. The predetermined period of time is based on an average transmission time of a portion of the multiple transaction data, for example, the time to transmit one page of a facsimile.
In many instances, when the quality of the control channel is high for that particular communication unit, it can transmit the first page of the facsimile in a shorter period of time than has been allocated. However, the communication unit does not transmit any subsequent pages of the facsimile, or portions of the multiple transaction data, during the remaining time that has been allocated to it. The communication units sits idle until the predetermined period of time expires, then it requests another transmission to transmit more of the multiple transaction data, if any exists. Therefore, a need exists for a method that will efficiently utilize the allocated communication resource to transmit multiple transaction data during a predetermined period of time.